Call me a killjoy, but the Battle of Verdun was one of the worst and bloodiest battles of a horrific war that arguably ruined Europe. Is there Lego Auschwitz, too?
This is clearly art. Whether it is in bad taste or not is subjective, but art should not shy away from the horrors of humanity just as it should not shy away from the triumphs of humanity.
Personally I think it is excellent, and stuff like this will encourage the younger generation to ask "What was Verdun?". It has way more capacity for teaching/inspiring interest than me having been forced to sit in class and read about Verdun in a textbook.
IMO, those most willing to call for violence from behind the keyboard are those who least understand the real world consequences, those who have the least knowledge of the horrors that have come before. It's really important for people to know just how cruel and awful we can be to each other, and most importantly, how damn pointless it all was. Media like this can help bridge that gulf.
This looks to be a history presentation in a medium the creator is most proficient, not a glorification or trivialisation of war, as evidenced by the epilogue.
considering that the video has a like two minutes long educational section without lego at the end and the fact that it is not much fun to watch this ... I would say: good job.
That was my takeaway. It isn’t gleeful, it is sad… and I think that’s the point. Getting huffy that a horrific battle is being portrayed with toys seems to miss the entire message.
I think it’s tastefully made, and doesn’t make light of the war at all. Lego can be a neutral medium to express ideas, like play dough or wooden figurines.
All you people talking about how it's "educational": I'm doubling down here.
Dumbing down history to the level of modern day action figures because "the kids can relate to it" is missing the point of "reading history." It's to realize that the past was not like now.
Yes, it takes an effort to get the kids off their phones and pay attention to something other than each other. No one said teaching was easy.
I'm sure it IS hard to make them realize that they didn't have cell phones, Internet, or flush toilets out there, and when a soldier was wounded, he suffered, screaming and thirsty, often for hours, and they didn't have good medical care for him when he was finally stretchered off. Somehow throughout history, some teachers and parents have managed to do it.
Isn't this all the more reason to remember this battle? While the Lego re-enactment does have elements of action that could be misinterpreted as glorification of war, the 2 minutes educating the viewer on the actual history seems to indicate that this is a tribute to the lives lost and an education on the horror of war.
Similarly, a Lego Auschwitz would probably be a good way to explore history. Again, not to glorify it, but to educate people in engaging ways on how horrific human beings can be to each other.
Bad taste, whoever did this. Bad taste.